Amusement apparatus.



W. H. FULPER.

AMUSEMENT, APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1913.

1,1 1 1 ,533, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 8HEETSSHBET 1.

THE NORRIS FEIERS CO.. PHOTG-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. Dv c W. H. YULPER. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED SBPT.19,1913.

1 l 1 1 ,533. nt d Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. WITNESSES. W W I W C?J\ y ATTORN% AMW X THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO-LITHQ. WA'SHINGmN. D. C

WILLIAM H. FULPER, 0F FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. FULPER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Flemington, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, (whose post-oflice address is Flemington, New J ersey,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus, and more particularly contemplates the provision of such a device of this class as will afford amusement for children and be particularlysusceptible of welcome utilization in a nursery, playroom or the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an oscillatory or otherwise movable platform or framework, and preferably such a platform mounted upon a rocker or rockers, adapted to support a preferably vertically arranged effigy of any type, such as the efligy of an animal, ship, car, locomotive, 620.

Another object is to provide a rail, bar, bracket or equivalent, to be supported preferably by the efligy, and adapted to be grasped by the child when jumping on and off the platform while it is going 'or oscillating. A

Still another object is to provide, in connection with such an efligy, if desired, movable arts to be supported by the platform or efh ments characteristic of theeffigy with which they are associated; these movable parts preferably being driven automatically by the oscillation, rocking or other movement of the platform.

Still a further object is to provide, in connection with an embodiment of this invention adapted to satlsfy the object stated in the paragraph immediately above, a

structure or member adapted to protect the limbs or body of the child from any danger of injury from said movable parts.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims. a

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 19, 1913. Serial No. 790,666.

gy and to be given independent move Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part'of this specificatlon, and wherein I have shown two of the variouspossible embodiments of this invention as at present preferred:

Figure l is a side elevation of one of said elliibodiments; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of t e elevation of another of said embodiments (but of an embodiment which carries sub stantially the same efligy, to wit, a locomo-- tive, as the efligy carried by the embodiment shown in Fig. 1), showing in addition, and in dotted lines, certain auxiliary means adapted ashereinafterdescribed to revolve the wheels 10; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertlcal sectional view, taken on the line 4l4= of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the adjacent arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 5 represents each one of a pair of rockers which suitably support a floor or platform 6 as shown. Arranged centrally or to one side of the platform 6 is a longitudinally located vertically extending cut-out effigy of a locomotive. This eifigy bears the reference numeral 7, and

as will be seen most clearly from Fig. 2,

the various conformations thereof, such as the cab 8,the boiler 9,the wheels 10, the connecting-rod 11, the cylinder 12, the pistonrod 13, the guard 14, etc., are given apparent solidity merely by being depicted in any suitable manner, as by painting, bill-posting or the like, upon the flat vertical sides 15 (vide Fig.2) of the effigy 7.

In the present embodiment, effigy 7 carries on each side 15 as shown a suitablyelevated and horizontally extending hand-rail 16, each hand-rail being supported rigidly by a pair of anchor rods 17.

The operation of this embodiment of this invention will depend largely upon the game or imaginary occupation in which the child is engaged. A locomotive is illustratively here disclosed as constituting the efligy 7 carried by the platform 6, since it is Wellknown that children take delight inplaying train or choochoo-cars; the usual custom heretofore having been to arrange in single file a series of chairs or articles of furniture in such a way that the child may parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side make his headquarters at the chair first in the file and ump on and off the same for the purpose of passing to the rear chairs or cars, the while fancying that the train 7 is in motion. And thus it will follow that this embodiment of this invention will advantageously be placed at the head of the file of chairs or cars aforesaid, and that the child, while the platform and efligy are oscillating upon the rockers 5, may jump on and oif the moving platform at Will, and with ease and safety on account of the pres ence of the handle-rails 16. It will of course be understood that only the hand-rail which is above the side of the platform 6 upon which the child rides is utilized in coming aboard and alighting.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of this invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, there are shown the rockers 5 and the platform 6, shown in Fig. 1. Platform 6 here carries an efiigy, also a locomotive, which, while in side view having generally the outlines of the effigy 7 shown in Fig. 1, is not merely a cut-out, but is instead a boxlike member established by the, side walls 18, the top wall 19, and a portion of the platform 6, as shown in Fig. 4;. Although forthe purposes of better clarifying the dotted-line disclosure of the parts contained within said box-like member, Fig. 3 discloses the e'fligy as not being provided with depictions of the cab 8, the boiler 9, etc. shown in Fig. 1, it should be understood that the efiigy shown in Figs. ,3 and 4 is similarly preferably provided with suitable depictions. It will be seen, however, that the effigy of Figs. 3 and 4; is provided on each side with a plurality of wheels 20, that is, actually revoluble wheels, in place of the depicted wheels 10 shown in Fig. 1. And these wheels 20 are adapted, as hereinafter described, to be given revolution during the oscillation of platform 6 upon rockers 5. Above the wheels 20 are located the hand-rails l6 and the anchor-rods 17 as shown.

In the present embodiment two transversely arranged shafts 21 are arranged to pass through the said boxlike member, their projecting ends each carrying exteriorly of said member a fixedly-mounted wheel 20. Each shaft carries near its central portion and interiorly of said member a pinion 22 secured fixedly upon said shaft. It will be seen that the wheels 20 are located below the undercut ledge 23 and lie within the undercut vestibule 24:, so that during revolution they will not cause injury to the person mounted upon or mounting or alighting from platform 6. In order to. prevent the slightest chance of injury, a pair of guard-walls 25 may be carried by the platform as shown. The upper interior of said box-like member carries a transversely arranged pivot-pin 26, terminally accommodated as shown within the journal-plates 27 mounted'upon the side walls 18 of the boxlike member. Pivot-pin 26 loosely carries as illustrated a depending oscillatory segment 28 and a plurality of spacing sleeves 29.

The lower arcuate edge of segment 28 is provided with a plurality of teeth, as indicated in Fig. 3, so as, to establish an arcuate rack to mesh with the teeth carried by the pinions 22. This arcuate rack is preferably formed within the arc of l a circle whose center-is the pivotal center of segment 28, and the pinions are so designed and located with reference thereto, that whatever the degree, of oscillation of the pendulous segment 28 in advance of the, oscillation of the efligy, the said rack-teeth and pinionteeth will continuously be in mesh.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention shouldv be obvious. Normally the segment 28 is substantially. gravity-hung 111 .the position indicated, and the wheels 20 are consequently motionless. Upon oscillating the. platform 6 upon-rockers5, however, seg- ,ment 28 commences an independent oscillation, and an oscillation, moreover, that, for a certain length of time, due to the inertia of the segment-mass, becomes increasingly dissimilar to the oscillation of the efligy. This causes the rack carried by said segment to cooperate with the teeth of the pinions 22 to cause the wheels 20 to revolve. The revolution of said wheels caused by the abovedescribed operation will probably, it is true, not be continuous in a single direction; but nevertheless it will aid materially in the pleasure derived from employing this embodiment.

It will thus be seen that there are provided embodiments of this invention well calculated to attain the various ends and objects thereof.

Inasmuch as-many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely difl'erent embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 3 It is also to be understood that the language contained in the following-claimsis intended to cover .all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let: ters Patent, is: a

1. In a device of the class described, in combinatioma floor, supporting means for said floor, said means including a rocker, and an upright structure carried by said floor and adapted to aid a person-inmain taining his balance when standinghon or' a combination,

stepping onto or from said floor. Y a a Ina vdevice of the class described, in a floor, supporting means for a said floor, said means including a rocker,

' and" an uprightcstru'cturecarried vby said fioor, vsaid structure adapted to be grasped including a member by'the' hand of aperson hen such person is 1 standing on or 3 stepping onto or from said floor.

in a .deviceof the, class described, in

combination, a floor, supporting means for said floor,-sa idmeans including a rocker,

floor and adapted to 'aidapers'onin maina and an upright 1' structure carried by said taining his balance'vvhen standingon or stepping onto or from said floor, said structure I bearing the depiction of some .vvell known object. a i

4. In a device of as described, in

combination, a floor,supporting means for ranged longitudinallyof xa hand-rail carried by saidplatform at .gpointabove said platform, said Wall consti object.

' combination,la plurality of rockers,

forms'uppo'rted thereby,

said floor, said means includinga rocker, and an upright structure carried by said ifioor and adapted to aid a person in main-j .5. In a device of the class de scribed in combination, a'plurality of rockersya plat-, form supported thereby, a vertical Wall arsaid; platform, and

tuting a representation. of some Well-known 6. In a device of th e class'described,

a vertical Wall ar-.

ranged longitudinally of said platform, and" resentation of a Well-known structure when said structure is a hand-rail carried by said Wall at a point above said platform,

andsaid handail-constituting a characteristic' part of said object.v y t 7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plurality of rockers, a platform supported thereby, a vertical Wall arranged longitudinally of said platform, and

a hand-rail carried by said Wall at a point above said platform, said Wall constituting a representation of some Well-known object and having bounding edges arranged to establish substantially a vertical profile of said object.

8. In a device of the class described, in, combination, a structure constituting a rep object, supporting means therefor including a rocker,

said wall constituting -a representation of some Well-knoWnobject a movable part, and means adapted to cause i a movement of said part relatively of said structure When said structure is rocked upon said rocker, said means including a pendulum mounted upon said structure.

"9. Ida device ofthe classdescribed, in

combination, a structure constituting a representationof a well-lmown object, supporting means therefor including a rocker, a movable part, and means adapted to cause a movement of said part relatively of said rocked upon said rocker, said means including a pendulum mounted upon said structure and said pendulum carrying a rack.

In Witness whereof, I; have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two Witi WILLIAM H; FULPER. lVitnesses: WIILLiAM CoRcoRAN, Jr., GEO. K. LARGE. l

IIGSSBS.

bopies of this patent-flay be obtained for five centQeach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, I I 1 Washington; D. G." i i 

